Man, if you have to ask what it [jazz] is, you’ll never know.

Never play a thing the same way twice.

It's America's classical music ... this becomes our tradition ... the bottom line of any country in the world is what did we contribute to the world? ... we contributed Louis Armstrong

[Bebop is] Chinese music.

Never play anything the same way twice.

The Bright Blessed Day, the Dark Sacred Night

I don't get involved in politics. I just blow my horn.

What a wonderful world.

The way they are treating my people in the South, the government can go to hell!

What is Jazz? Dude, if you have to ask, you'll never know.

What is Jazz? Dude, if you have to ask, you'll never know.

Music is either good or bad, and it's got to be learned. You got to have balance.

When I go to the Gate, I'll play a duet with Gabriel. Yeah, we'll play 'Sleepy Time Down South' and 'Hello, Dolly!.' Then he can blow a couple that he's been playing up there all the time.

You blows who you is.

You can't take it for granted. Even if we have two, three days off I still have to blow that horn a few hours to keep up the chops. I mean I've been playing 50 years, and that's what I've been doing in order to keep in that groove there.

I see trees of green, red roses too. I see them bloom for me and you. And I think to myself what a wonderful world. I see skies of blue and clouds of white. The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night. And I think to myself what a wonderful world

A lot of the musicians asked me if when I hit my high-Cs on the records I had a clarinet take the notes. Some [thought] I had invented some kind of gadget so I could play high register. They weren't satisfied until they handed me a trumpet that they had with them and had me swing it. Then they cheered.

I spent nine days in the Downtown Los Angeles City Jail. The judge gave me a suspended sentence and I went to work that night - wailed just like nothing happened. What strucked me funny though - I laughed real loud when several movie stars came up to the bandstand while we played a dance set and told me, when they heard about me getting caught with marijuana, they thought marijuana was a chick. Woo boy - that really fractured me!

As many bands as you heard [in New Orleans], that's how many bands you heard playing right. I thought I was in Heaven playing second trumpet in the Tuxedo Brass Band -- and they had some funeral marches that would just touch your heart, they were so beautiful.

As many bands as you heard [in New Orleans], that's how many bands you heard playing right. I thought I was in Heaven playing second trumpet in the Tuxedo Brass Band -- and they had some funeral marches that would just touch your heart, they were so beautiful.

It ain't whatcha say, it's the way howcha say it.

I've Got the World on a String,

If you don't understand it, don't mess with it.

When you're with another tea smoker it makes you feel a special kinship,

If you still have to ask, shame on you

It's getting almost so bad a colored man hasn't got any country.

I had a chance to play with the best musicians that were coming through because I was pretty good myself or else they wouldn't have tolerated with me.

Jazz is what I play for a living.

Red beans and ricely yours.

If it hadn't been for Jazz, there wouldn't be no rock and roll.